No Consult too Small

We all have visions of improving our home. “Gosh how I would love to change the color of this room!” ” These lamps worked great in my last house but just don’t work in this space?” “Oh how I wish I didn’t have tile countertops!” All of these are small changes you can make to update your home and make it feel fresh and new.

A friend of mine had already hired a contractor to make some small changes to their kitchen built in 1987. They had a vision of raising the height of the desk to counter height, adding a beverage fridge and some pullout drawers to maximize storage. They also had to make some detailed design decisions which is when they gave me a call!

Before

Because I was brought in later in the project, I didn’t get the infamous “before” pictures!!! With some research, I found this from the listing photos before they purchased the house:

• 

What’s interesting is the island had been tiled since this picture was taken. Forest green, I think? But the surrounding countertops were left like this: linoleum with wood trim and no backsplash, only a piece of wood trim.

Kitchen Details

Over the phone we discussed the final decisions they needed help with:

• Sink
• Faucet
• Countertops
• Backsplash Tile

Sink

Per the one that does the dishes, we felt the husband should get a say in what sink we chose. ;). He specifically pointed out while at my house for a dinner one night that he DIDN’T want a sink like ours. LOL. Ok, dude. No offense taken. LOL. My kitchen which we renovated a few years ago (here) has a farmhouse sink. I love having one big sink, but not everyone wants the same things, which is why you hire a designer. She will listen to your needs and wishes and get you the best options for you! (Not just give you what SHE has 😉 LOL) My client liked having the split sides to his sink, garbage disposal in one, clean water in another. We also felt that stainless was going to be the most durable and would coordinate with the stainless appliances. This one we chose by Kraus suits all the needs.

Faucet

The client had a stainless, tap-on, tap-off faucet before the renovation that “lost it’s touch” capabilities but still worked. I suggested bringing in a black or oil-rubbed bronze to break up all the stainless going on in the space. A dark faucet would also tie in the oil-rubbed bronze hardware of the cabinets which they replaced a handful of years ago when the refinished the cabinets. I suggested a gooseneck, pull-down and the client found this one by Kohler. We both agreed that it’s a perfect choice for this space.

Countertops

We met one lunch break at the countertop place their contractor uses out in Forest Grove. Their sales person had 4 or 5 suggested Quartz countertops that were in the original quote for the remodel. Of course, we didn’t like any of those! So we asked them to guide us to the brands that were comprobable but not triple the budgeted amount. We found 2 options for a Quartz countertop that were warm white with some veining that we took home for the whole family to vote on. The winner was the Statuario Maximus Quartz that had the more bold veining. Yay! Another decision made! On to the final piece of the puzzle: the backsplash.

Backsplash Tile

The following weekend, we met at my favorite: Contract Furnishings Mart to view all the possible back splash materials. We knew we wanted something of a warm white, with maybe a natural stone in it. We wanted something that had interest, but wasn’t too busy. We liked the idea of a linear pattern and narrowed it down to 3 different tiles and/or mosaics to get samples and see it in the space with the countertop sample.

Well, come to find out, one of them (the favorite) was discontinued! Isn’t that how it always is? I contacted my rep and asked if there was anything else similar and the answer from the tile company was no. The third options, the “subway” shaped tile was not the client’s favorite, which left this basketweave mosaic that we ended up using and my oh my! I am so glad we did. It is totally different than anything I have put into a space yet OR have seen anyone use. It’s fresh, clean, has texture, and yet it’s not busy. It has a traditional feel which very much goes with the style of the home. I am so pleased with how it turned out and the homeowner loves it too! Win Win!

The Final Results

So, for a handful of my time, and a good number of decisions made, this mini-consult really made a big impact in this client’s home!

Need help making a design decision? No problem is too small or too big. Give me a buzz!

xo,

Melis